1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a terminal fitting.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2010-49841 discloses a terminal fitting with a tubular main portion that has an open front end. A resilient contact piece and a fixed contact portion face one another in the main portion. A male tab can be inserted into the main portion from the front and is contacted resiliently between the resilient contact piece and the fixed contact portion. The terminal fitting is connected to a wire and is inserted from behind into a cavity of a housing. A resiliently deformable locking lance is formed at an inner wall of the cavity and a tip part of the locking lance engages a rear edge of the main portion from behind when the terminal fitting is inserted properly into the cavity of the housing. Thus, the locking lance retains the terminal fitting in the cavity.
A longer locking lance will resiliently deform more smoothly. If the entire length of the locking lance is made longer, a tip part of the locking lance will reach a central part of an outer wall of the main portion. Therefore a lance hole has to be formed in this central part of the outer wall for receiving the tip part of the locking lance. However, the contact portion is formed at an inner side of the outer wall and almost no clearance is formed between the outer wall and the contact portion. Thus, the locking lance may not be inserted deeply into the lance hole and may come out of the lance hole.
The invention is based on the above situation and an object thereof is to provide a terminal fitting that ensures a sufficient engagement margin with a locking lance.